Rennie Harris Funkedified American Street Dance Theater
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Presents RENNIE HARRIS FUNKEDIFIED AMERICAN STREET DANCE THEATER DIRECTED CHOREOGRAPHED WRITTEN & CONCIEVED Lorenzo Rennie Harris LIGHTING DESIGN MUSICAL COMPOSER Peter Jakubowski COMPANY MANAGER Darrin M. Ross Rodney Harris SOUND DESIGN, MUSICAL PROJECTIONS DIRECTION & PRODUCTION & VISUAL DESIGN Darrin M. Ross Jorge Cousineau RENNIE HARRIS PUREMOVEMVENT Katia Cruz Phillip Cuttino Jr. Tatianna Desardouin Joshua Culbreath Leigh Foaad Mai Le Ho Yuko Tanaka Danzel Thompson-Stout Shafeek WestBrook THE HOOD LOCKERS MUSICAL DIRECTORS Ricky “Glytch” Evans Joshua “J Peazy” Polk, Doron Lev & Matthew Dickey Andrew “Riot” Ramsey Marcus Tucker RENNIE HARRIS FUNKEDIFIED BAND Doron Lev (Drums) Matthew Dickey (Guitar) Nicholas Marks (Keyboard) Osei Kweku (Bass) Samir Zarif (Saxophone) Dave Levy (Trumpet) Rennie Harris Funkedified is presented in association with the Carolina Theatre. Free youth tickets are made possible by an anonymous donor. Subsidized tickets for Durham Public School studentsare made possible, in part, by Duke Energy Foundation. Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at 8:00pm Thursday, July 11, 2019 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm The Carolina Theatre Performance: 70 minutes, no intermission HADIKA Music Original Composition by RHF Band Musicians Doron Lev (Drums), Matt Dickey (Guitar), Nicholas Marks (Keyboard), Osei Kweku (Bass), Samir Zarif (Saxophone) Dave Levy, (Trumpet) Dancers The Hood Lockers, Phillip Cuttino, Joshua Culbreath, Katia Cruz, Leigh Foaad, Danzel Thompson-Stout, Mai Le Ho, Tatiana Desardouin, Yuko Tanaka, Shafeek Westbrook GIVE THE DRUMAH SUM Music Original Composition by RHF Band Musicians Doron Lev (Drums), Matt Dickey (Guitar), Nicholas Marks (Keyboard), Osei Kweku (Bass), Samir Zarif (Saxophone), Dave Levy (Trumpet) Dancers Andrew Ramsey, Joshua Polk, Marcus Tucker, Richard Evans, Phillip Cuttino, Joshua Culbreath, Shafeek Westbrook, Leigh Foaad, Mai Le Ho, Tatiana Desardouin SOUL MAGGOT Music "Maggot Brain" (solo) written by Eddie Hazel & George Clinton; interpolation by Matt Dickey Musician Matt Dickey Dancers Leigh “Breeze-Lee” Foaad RHF BAND SELECTION (Interpolation) Music Dave Levy, Doron Lev, Matthew Dickey, Nicholas Marks, Osei Kweku, Samir Zarif 110TH STREET BROTHERS Music "Across 110th Street" by Bobby Womack and "I’m A Good Man" by Martin Soveig, interpolation by RHF Band Musicians Doron Lev (Drums), Matt Dickey (Guitar), Nicholas Marks (Keyboard), Osei Kweku (Bass), Samir Zarif (Saxophone), Dave Levy (Trumpet Dancers Phillip Cuttino, Joshua Culbreath, Katia Cruz, Leigh Foaad, Danzel Thompson-Stout, Mai Le Ho, Tatiana Desardouin, Yuko Tanaka, Shafeek Westbrook SUPA JOSH & CRAZY SAX Music Original Composition by FKAjazz Musicians FKAjazz Dancer Joshua “Supa-Josh” Culbreath AMBIENT LOCK Music RHF Band Musicians Doron Lev (Drums), Matt Dickey (Guitar), Nicholas Marks (Keyboard), Osei Kweku (Bass), Samir Zarif (Saxophone), Dave Levy (Trumpet) Dancers The Hood Lockers, Andrew Ramsey, Joshua Polk, Marcus Tucker, Richard Evans YES I CAN Music "Can You Get It" by Mandrill, interpolation by RHF Band Musicians Doron Lev (Drums), Matt Dickey (Guitar), Nicholas Marks (Keyboard), Osei Kweku (Bass), Samir Zarif (Saxophone), Dave Levy (Trumpet) Dancers The Hood Lockers, Phillip Cuttino, Joshua Culbreath, Katia Cruz, Leigh Foaad, Danzel Thompson-Stout, Mai Le Ho, Tatiana Desardouin, Yuko Tanaka, Shafeek Westbrook ABOUT FUNKEDIFIED A multi-media work that celebrates funk music and street dance of the 1970s is set against the landscape of a video montage of African American communities of that era. Inspired by the political turmoil and atmosphere of Rennie Harris' childhood, Rennie Harris Funkedified features a live funk band that highlights a unique funk sound as well as pays homage to the music of such funk legends such as James Brown, George Clinton, and Roger to name a few. Rennie Harris Funkedfied will not only feature dancers from Rennie Harris Puremovement but one of the most seminal locking groups since Don Campbell and The Campbell Lock Dancers–The Hood Lockers. Internationally known, each Hood Locker immolates the very essence of Don Campbell and The Campbell Lock Dancers. Their unique brand of dance will confirm the political, economic, and social state of the 1970s. Also versed in popping and breaking, the Hood Lockers put the final touches on Rennie Harris' first street dance inspiration when he saw Don Campbell and The Campbell Lock Dancers on Soul Train. Narrated by Rennie Harris, Rennie Harris Funkedfied is a visual motif of the 1970s accompanied by the New York funk band Invincible, who will paint an eclectic soundscape and texture that will navigate us through a snippet of the '70s per Rennie Harris' journey into funk music and culture, which ultimately evolves into hip-hop culture. WHO'S WHO & WHAT'S WHAT! LORENZO RENNIE HARRIS has brought these "social" dances to the "concert" stage. “Harris, the most profound choreographer of his idiom” (New York Times) is considered the pioneer of “Street Dance” theater. At the turn of the century, alongside Princess Grace Kelly and Dr. Julius Erving, Harris was voted one of the most influential people in the last one hundred years of Philadelphia history. He’s been compared to twentieth-century dance legends Alvin Ailey and Bob Fosse and been awarded 3 "Bessie" awards, 3 Alvin Ailey Black Choreographers awards, the Herb Alpert Award in choreography, nominated for a Lawrence Olivier award (UK), Governors Artist award, USA artist award, and voted one of Philadelphia’s Creative Ambassadors in 2010. He’s received two honorary doctorates in the Arts and Humanities from Bates College (Lewiston, Maine) and in the Fine Arts from Columbia College (Chicago). Thought to be “the Basquiat of the US contemporary dance scene,” Lorenzo Rennie Harris has literally embodied the history of hip-hop dance (London Times) and in 2014 Rennie Harris finished a successful tour of the Middle East to Eygpt, Jordan, Palenstine, and surrounding countries. Rennie Harris Puremovment served as one of four ambassadors for the United States as part of President Obama’s cultural exchange program Dance Motion USA, which was led by former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Rennie Harris has pioneered a new genre Hip-hop/Street Dance Theater. Dr. Lorenzo "Rennie" Harris is atop the hip- hop heap–its leading ambassador. RODNEY HILL, born and raised in North Philadelphia, entered the hip-hop scene in 1988. For more than a decade, Rodney has blazed the stages in venues nationally and abroad. He has been featured in many videos for artists such as Boys II Men, Will Smith, and Music Soul Child, just to name a few. He has performed on TV shows such as R&B Divas: Los Angeles, NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Soul Train, NFL Under The Helmet, and BET's Teen Summit. In addition, he has toured and performed with artists like R&B singer Brave Williams, R&B singer Julian King, Teddy Pendergrass, Shanice Wilson, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and Philly’s own the Roots. An accomplished teacher and choreographer, Rodney Hill has had the opportunity to perform and teach in universities and dance studios locally, nationally, and internationally in such countries as France, Democratic Republic of Congo, East Asia, Egypt, Israel, and Palestine. Constantly expanding his horizons, Rodney is always working with new artists and exploring new opportunities. Currently, he is Company Manager/Director of Rennie Harris Puremovement, Rennie Harris RHAW, and DICE RAW. Mr. Hill is currently attending Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA, where he is receiving a master's degree in Performing Arts in Choreography. LEIGH FOAAD aka Breeze-lee (Artistic Director, Choreographer and Dancer) since birth has been exposed to dance. His vocabulary ranges from a wide variety of styles from classical ballet to hip-hop. He has been training and working professionally as a principal dancer for Rennie Harris Puremovement (RHPM) since 2005. One of Breeze-lee’s proudest moments with RHPM was in March 2012 when Breeze-lee was selected as a Cultural Ambassador for The Obama Administration, BAM, and DanceMotion USA. He was a principal first and only featured hip-hop dancer, nationally and internationally with John Tesh. He choreographed and was featured in the PBS special ALIVE Music & Dance, which was featured nationwide. Breeze-lee found a love for a street-dance style called popping in the year 2002 and since then has competed in some of the most prestigious competitions on a national level and worldwide scale. Some of his biggest victories include Popping Champion for “The Week,” an international dance event in Italy, “Bust a Move” in Canada, two time Champion for “Battle of the Belts Los Angeles,” International Champion for “Freestyle Session,” International Champion for “7 to Smoke” in Modiin, Israel, and lastly, North American Champion for “R-16 Qualifier,” which led Breeze-lee to represent USA at the finals in Seoul, Korea. In addition, Breeze-lee is the Co-Founder, Co-Artistic Director, and Choreographer of Versa-Style Dance Company. He is determined to express and share the knowledge and importance of hip-hop culture, while providing high intensity movement and passion for all artists around him. Most recently, Breeze-lee completed a three week five city tour with the company to Alaska where he had the opportunity to teach master classes and also perform Versa-Style’s latest production Box of Hope. Currently Leigh is an Adjunct Lecturer at UCLA’s Deptartment of World Arts and Cultures/Dance teaching hip-hop dance and is the hip-hop instructor of the UCLA Summer Dance/Performing Arts Intensive for high school students. Breeze-lee takes pride in teaching the history and culture of hip- hop and currently teaches all over Los Angeles. JOSHUA CULBREATH was born and raised in Philadelphia, where he started dancing at the age of ten. During his middle school years Joshua joined dance group K.R.S. Ent., which won many talent shows and went on to perform on the TV show Showtime at the Apollo in New York. While dancing with K.R.S. Ent., Joshua met B-boy Hannibal, owner and artist director of 360 Flava, and began to train with him.